Fledge
by the limit from 0 to 1
Summary: Set eighteen years after the Second Bloody Valentine War, just as people began to settle into the idea of peace another conflict emerges. Can the new Gundam pilots of Orb prove themselves to be more than fledglings while figuring out how to deal with war?
1. Toasted Nuggets

_The gun shook in his grip, his finger brushing against the trigger. He had to shoot – it was the only option, but he couldn't. Sweat dripped down his brow, down the back of his neck. He had to shoot. He had to shoot._

_But those azure eyes stared back at him, his eyes. _

_He couldn't shoot. _

_He let the scream he had been holding in and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out. Tears ran down his cheeks as he dropped to his knees. A long mournful yell._

"Ensign La Flaga!"

He snapped back into reality. He had only closed his eyes for a second, but he had the dream once again. It confused him. Sweat covered his gloved hands that held the controls of his Gundam. His breaths came in short, shallow burst. Any more of the dream would kill him.

He eased the Gundam back to the ground, letting it rest on one knee. The young pilot looked down at the many soldiers and mechanics waving at he cockpit. They kept shouting cheers and congratulations. The pilot chuckled to himself.

The cockpit opened slowly. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blazing sun. It was such a warm summer. The shouts were even louder out in the open. He grabbed onto the cable to be lowered to the ground where, sure enough, he was patted on the back and ruffled on the head. The pilot tried to shrug off the many people who smiled for his accomplishments.

"Good job ensign!"

"As expected of the son of the Hawk of Endymion!"

"You're the best Gundam pilot the world's ever seen!"

The praises were typically the same. The cheers died down just before another Gundam landed. Ensign La Flaga pulled off his helmet and wiped the sweat off his brow. His eyes wandered to the pilot emerging from the second Gundam that had just landed.

He stared at the slender figure descend onto the ground, tugging at her collar to let the air cool her down. The other pilot pulled off her helmet once on the ground, letting her rich reddish-brown hair fall all the way to the small of her back, and the moment she saw the ensign looking at her, she gave him a glare and walked away without a word. The young pilot did not know how to handle the girl's reaction. He wondered if she was upset since he performed better during the test.

The ensign turned his attention back to the crowd. There was a person clad in a green jumpsuit making his way through the crowd toward him. The mechanic tackled him from the side and punched him playfully on the cheek. The pilot punched his friend on the shoulder in retaliation. They both smiled.

"You were awesome," said the mechanic.

"I'm not that good of a pilot," replied La Flaga. "There's still Commander Yamato, Aaron. You can't forget about him."

He looked at the mechanic. They were about the same height, but Aaron was far more muscular. Aaron had a mat of messy dark brown hair and piercing green eyes behind thin-rimmed glasses.

"What are you looking at, Michael?" asked the mechanic.

"Nothing," he sighed.

Michael looked at himself. What a fine set of genes he had. Unlike his father, he was scrawny. Sure he shared the same blue eyes and blond hair as the famous Mu La Flaga, but his physique was lacking. Michael sighed again. The boys started to walk away from the hangars.

"I bet Roze is pretty pissed off at you," said Aaron. "She seemed upset when she came out of that Gundam."

"Does she have a grudge against me?"

"Who knows? But you did score higher than her on the test. I can't believe you shot down ten enemy mobile suits! Not only did you beat Roze, who always gets the top scores, you set a new record for the test."

"I didn't notice that I did so well," said Michael. He stared up at the sky. Orb was such a beautiful country.

"You don't have to be so modest."

"I'm not!" shouted Michael. "It's just, whenever I'm in that cockpit…"

"Hey, hey! Don't wear yourself out trying to explain. But just answer one thing. Are you sure you're not a Coordinator?"

"You already know the answer. Both my parents are Naturals, and I'm pretty sure that they would tell me if I was."

"Well, you're done for the day, but I still have work to do," said Aaron as he turned around. "And before I forget, happy birthday Michael!"

As he watched his friend jog back to the hangars, Michael sighed and tried to recall the face of the man he shot in his dream. It had been so familiar.

* * *

"I'm home!" Michael yelled out habitually, not really expecting a reply. He closed the door behind him and pulled off his coat. To his surprise, a sweet voice called out to him from the kitchen.

"Welcome home!"

Michael walked through the hall and into the kitchen to find a woman happily chopping up vegetables. She smiled at him and put down the knife. Michael smiled back, but then began to fidget when the woman began trying to fix his hair. He tried to gently brush her hands off his head.

"Mother!" he yelled. "My hair is fine the way it is!"

The brown haired woman smiled and kissed her son on the cheek. Annoyed by the gesture, Michael seemed to pout as he rubbed his cheek. He could hear his mother giggle as she started cutting the vegetables again.

He took a seat at the counter and asked, "Why are you home so early? Did you have work?"

"I took the day off," she replied. "I couldn't miss your birthday!"

"Has Father taken the day off as well?"

He received his answer not from her, but from the voice at the front door.

"Murrue, Michael? Are you guys home?"

Michael looked upon his father, Mu La Flaga, as he strutted into the kitchen, loosening the buttons of his officer's uniform. He couldn't help but stare at the scar that ran across his father's nose. His mother had said that he had gotten it when he protected the Archangel with his own mobile suit, the Strike, from an attack from an enemy ship called the Dominion.

Mu noticed his son's pensive gaze, and to lighten the mood, took Michael into a headlock and began ruffling up his blond hair. Michael screamed and began force his head from his father's grip. Murrue covered her mouth as she laughed behind the counter.

"My boy is turning seventeen!" shouted Mu happily. "And I heard what you did during your pilot test. I couldn't be more proud!"

"Thanks Father," Michael replied softly.

"Enough with this!" Mu stated, releasing Michael. "Let's help your mother so we can eat faster!"

The sun had set, dinner was over, and the family started to pick up the plates from the meal. Michael's mood had turned solemn again, as noticed by both his parents. As he carried the plates to the sink, Mu quickened his step to walk along side his son.

"You have something on you mind," he said. "Spill it."

"Mu!" called his wife. "You should be so blunt like that."

"It's okay Mother. It's okay."

Michael stared at his concerned mother. He saw her hands squeeze tightly. Michael nodded, and she walked out of the kitchen.

"Get over here," Mu called. "Help me wash the dishes."

The two had reached the sink and began to watch the dishes – Mu soaping them, Michael rinsing them off. Michael sighed and turned to his father. The last dish had been washed.

"Are you ready to tell me?" asked Mu, his eyes still on the sink.

"I…" Michael stammered. He couldn't tell his father about the dream he had in the cockpit. It was just a dream. "I…"

"If you're not ready, I won't force you."

Michael stared wide-eyed at this father. The man smiled and ruffled his son's hair. Before exiting the kitchen, Mu turned back to face the young pilot. "Go to bed and keep you mind off whatever it is. You have another test tomorrow to see what ship you'll be assigned to."

"Thank you, Father," were the only words Michael managed to say.

* * *

_Michael walked down a dark corridor, each step echoing into the darkness. His pace was steady and his mouth etched into a deep frown. A door appeared before him. It only seemed natural to walk though it._

_It was a typical captain's quarters, but unlike any he had seen before. It was empty save for desk and chair in front of him. He saluted. His uniform seemed to crunch like paper. Michael felt his mouth move, yet no words came from it._

_A man appeared in the chair. His face was blurry, but Michael could see his mouth moving. No sound, but he stared intently on the man's lips, trying to read them. Michael tried not to flinch._

_"We shall attack Orb at 0900 hours."_

Michael, clad in his purple jumpsuit, stared up at the Gundam before him. His unit was going under final preparation before the test that would make or break him. It wasn't the test that truly worried him, but the dream from last night. It had felt so real, just like the dream from the other day. Michael sighed and stared at the ground. Nine o'clock was when the test would begin.

"Idiot," someone called. "Head's up!"

Michael reacted fast and caught the purple helmet that flew towards him. He stared down at it, and then and Roze, who had thrown it. She walked past him without another word. Michael stared at her, then back down to his helmet. He had left it in the briefing room, he remembered.

"Pilots! Standby in your units."

The voice from the intercom boomed through the hangar. It seemed to set off a fuse and everyone rushed to get his or her work done. Michael calmly entered his cockpit and started up his machine.

Michael flew carefully, following the formation of the proctor's Gundams that flew in front. His gaze shifted from Gundam to Gundam, weary of one of them suddenly disappearing.

He stopped once he saw Roze's mobile suit. It wasn't the regular model of Gundam that Orb used. It was customized, made into a Gundam primarily for long-range support. When Michael first saw it, he immediately noted its advanced sighting system and its sniper rifle that was twice the Gundam's size. The same rifle rested on the Gundam's two hands as they flew further out to sea.

The test area was scattered with the rusted remain of old battleships used for target practice. They could provide adequate cover for one or two mobile suits. There were also rock formations jetting out of the water around them. One large carrier lay on its side on the outskirts of the area, probably resting on a sand berm hidden underwater.

The lead proctor, a lieutenant that Michael had met on several occasions, turned his Gundam around to face the group. His indistinct face appeared before Michael on his cockpit's screen. The man's voice was soft, and did not seem to fit him well.

"This is a live fire drill," reminded the lieutenant. "Only aim for the arms, legs, or head of the opposing Gundams. Any attempted shots to the cockpit will have severe punishments."

Michael jumped in his seat. The clock on the bottom corner of the screen notified him with a loud beep that it was now 0900 hours. The ensign swallowed hard, trying not to think about the dream he had earlier. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to focus on the lieutenant's words.

"Groups split up!" The lieutenant commanded, and the test began.

Michael was relieved that although it was nine o'clock, nothing had happened. The Gundams eased themselves away from each other, while the proctors turned to fly to the rims of the testing field. Michael was about to head off himself, when a streak of pink light streaked passed him and squarely hit the lieutenant's cockpit.

What only took less than a second, seemed like hours to Michael. The mobile suit exploded in front of him. A could of hot debris exploded outward and the intact pieces of the limbs fell into the sea below. Even though he was in the cockpit, Michael could feel the heat from the blast and hear the slight scream of the lieutenant.

"Unknown mobile suits approaching!"

The shout shook Michael out of his state of shock. Quickly gripping the Gundam's controls, he flew the machine behind the cover of a pile of nearby battleships. Above his cover, he could see his frantic comrades being shot down one by one. He was trembling. This was only supposed to be a test. No one was supposed to die.

A mobile suit that was definitely not from Orb flew overhead, not noticing Michael hiding behind the wreckage. Without thinking, Michael aimed at the enemy and fired. The beam hit the mobile suit through the cockpit. Michael cringed and peeked over the battleships to see how the battle was progressing.

He could see ten enemy suits flying around, dispatching the twenty-five Orb Gundams. Not wanting to see more of his comrades die, Michael joined the fray, shooting accurately at the other mobile suits, taking out four before he reached the center of the battle.

One enemy suit came up to him. Michael pointed his rifle, but the other was too quick. The mobile suit had flown up to him and cut his gun in half with its beam sword. Reacting quickly, Michael pulled out his own sword, and began slashing at his opponent. They exchanged blows, and when the enemy's guard was down, Michael slashed the legs of the mobile suit.

Michael sensed something behind him and turned his Gundam around. Another enemy mobile suit had come up behind him, sword raised. It was too late for Michael to block the blow.

Before the enemy struck, the suit exploded in front of Michael. He traced the shot back to the carrier on the edge of the testing area. Zooming in, he saw Roze's Gundam positioned there. She fired another shot at the mobile suit that was approaching Michael from the side.

"Thanks," Michael said to her.

"On your right!" Roze shouted

A normal pilot would have not reacted quickly enough, but Michael saw the mobile suit from the corner of his eye. He slashed upwards, cutting the suit in half. Ensign La Flaga flew around, helping the remaining pilots. There were only four left, excluding Roze and himself. He hoped that they would have no more casualties.

* * *

Michael struck down one more mobile suit, panting from the mental strain. Taking someone's life was part of being a soldier; he always knew that, but it was different when he actually had to carry that out.

The Gundam to his left exploded suddenly. Michael couldn't see where the shot came from, but there was a blight light approaching from the horizon. It was another mobile suit not from Orb. It was just like the pictures of the Blitz he had seen, but the color was a light pastel yellow and the Gundam obviously lacked the stealth capabilities of the Blitz, or else it would have just snuck in closer before attacking. However, its speed was amazing.

It took less than three seconds for the enemy Gundam to come within range. Another shot was fried, taking out another Orb Gundam. There were only two left now. In a fit of rage, Michael charged at the Gundam, pushing his mobile suit to its limits.

The enemy threw his rifle away and drew a beam saber. Michael and the unknown pilot swung at each other. Their swords crossed in a shower of sparks. Each tried to push back the other, but when the realized that their strength was equal, both backed off for another slash.

Michael tried his best to land a hit, but his blows were always evaded or blocked. He did the same with the enemy, giving him confidence in his abilities. Roze and the two other Gundams took on the remaining two enemy mobile suits.

The enemy Gundam lunged forward and thrust with his weapon. Predicting his attack beforehand, Michael did the same. Both of them stopped just before they pierced each other's cockpits. They remained that way, not moving even though there was fight still going behind them.

Directed at the Gundam before him, Michael asked, "Who are you? Why have you attacked Orb?"

After a few seconds, the pilot replied, "It does not concern you." It wasn't what was said that shocked Michael, but the fact that their voices were almost identical. His grip tightened on the controls.

Suddenly, the enemy Gundam pilot took off in the other direction. The other mobile suits followed. The remaining Orb pilots stayed there dumbfounded that he fact that after what happened, the enemy just retreated.

Michael didn't' think about the retreat of the enemy. He thought about the pilot he encountered. There was something deeply familiar with him. It was as if he had been fighting himself.

* * *

In the pilot's lounge, Michael had his head between his knees. Even an hour after the firefight, he was still trembling. Out of the twenty ensigns and five proctors, only four made it back to base. Michael and Roze were the only ensigns left.

Michael felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Roze. He lifted his head and stared at her. She seemed just as shaken up as he was, but her body didn't show it. Michael could only tell from her eyes. He offered him a cup of coffee, which he gladly accepted. His hands were shaking as he reached for the mug.

Roze seated herself next to him. Her presence was claming, but not enough for him to not have flashback of the attack. After they had landed, Michael discovered that they weren't the only ones attacked. A sudden wave of unidentified mobile suits stormed into Orb, attacking bases and ports. The military managed to fend them off, but not without casualties.

"You okay?" asked Roze.

Michael took a sip of the coffee. "Better than a half-hour ago," he replied.

The door opened, revealing Admiral Murrue La Flaga. With a bit of delayed reaction, Roze and Michael stood up to salute. The admiral saluted back, and the both of them eased themselves.

"Moth- I mean Admiral," Michael stuttered. "I expected-"

"Cagali asked me to head this investigation," Murrue replied. "Be seated, please."

The three of them situated themselves. Michael's tremors had died down a bit, but Murrue could still her son's hands twitch occasionally.

"Will you be all right, Ensign?" asked Murrue. "You're shaking."

"I'll be fine…"

Roze shifted in her seat.

"Could you describe the enemy mobile suits?" asked Murrue to the both of them. "Any characteristics that stood out?"

"The models were somewhat reminiscent of Zaft, but they weren't exact copies," said Roze. "The primary color of the suits was black. I saw no insignia on any of them."

"But there was one suit that stood out from the rest," stated Michael. "It was a Gundam."

"Are you sure?" Murrue asked, leaning forward a bit. "Are you sure it was a Gundam?"

"It seemed to follow the design of the GAT-X207 Blitz, but it didn't seem to have the stealth or the darts hidden in the shield. It used a standard beam rifle and beam saber during the fight."

"Did you directed encounter this mobile suit?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm glad that you're fine then."

A smile rose to both of their lips. Murrue stood up and began to walk out of the lounge. Michael stood up as well, surprised at how few questions were asked about the attack.

"Mother! Aren't you going to ask more?"

Murrue turned around and replied, "It's obvious that you two are shaken up, and I just really needed a verification on the appearance of the enemy suits. Get some rest you two."

"Yes!" Michael and Roze answered.

* * *

Michael lay on his bed, starring at the ceiling. He was tossing a tennis ball into the air and catching it repeatedly, trying to set himself into a trance. It wasn't working. Michael sighed and decided to sleep, if he could.

_He was standing in the captain's quarters again. The room was as dark as last time. He felt the feeling of frustration within his chest and fear of the man in front of him. Michael gripped his hands tightly._

"_I'm surprised that it turned out this way," said the man. "Orb was stronger than I thought, but that just goes for their veteran fighters. Those nuggets in the sky would have been no trouble if they weren't with higher rankers."_

_Michael shifted his weight from foot to foot. Michael bit his lip, for whatever reason that was hidden from him, he knew that he did not enjoy talking with this person, thought his speech and topics were fine in context._

"_Rest up, for we will attack when the armaments are complete."_

"_Yes, sir," Michael replied before leaving the quarters and stepping out into the hall._

"_Armament… Is he planning to use_ it_?"_


	2. Nightmares for Two

The sun was just beginning to rise. Purple and orange clouds floated above him. The morning was too beautiful, especially after what had happened the other day. Michael hadn't slept that much last night. He had sunk out of the house, not wanting to sit in his room the entire night. He knew he would be in trouble if he returned before his parents woke up. But he had to get his mind away from his vivid dreams.

That was why he was standing on the beach, skipping stones into the sparking waters of the ocean. Michael picked up another stone, and with a flick of his wrist, sent it flying. Michael stared to the horizon, counting the stone's number of skips.

"One, two, three, four… Six, seven, eight."

Michael sighed. It wasn't helping. His thoughts always wandered back to the dream. They had to be more than coincidental. Maybe if he had warned the lieutenant and the other proctors before hand, they would all be alive. Shaking his head from side to side, Michael yelled into the air, purging his mind of those thoughts. Exhausted, he fell onto the sand. How beautiful the sky looked.

"Having fun there Michael?" someone asked him.

Michael rolled onto his stomach and clumsily rushed to his feet. Brushing off the sand from his clothes, he stared at the familiar face.

"Commander! Commander Yamato!"

Kira walked briskly to Michael, sand kicking up behind him. It had been years since Michael had seen him last, and for being in his thirties, Kira Yamato looked like as healthy and lively as anyone half his age.

"You know I'm not a commander anymore," Kira chuckled. "That was four years ago Michael. It's been a while, but I've been a captain for about two years. I don't plan to advance any further."

"Oh, sorry," Michael replied a little embarrassed. It really had been a while since they last met. "You seem well, sir."

"But something's obviously troubling you."

Kira stood by the young pilot, starring at the horizon. The sun was up all the way now, but the sky remained a soft orange hue. Michael looked to the captain. He had a soft smile on his face.

"I used to come here often too," said Kira trying to relieve the tension he sensed. "Now I'm too busy accompanying Lacus everywhere."

"How is she anyway?"

"She's gotten a bit bigger," Kira said, making hand motions around his stomach. "Seven months in."

"Congratulations!"

"Heh. It only seemed like yesterday that I was your age and I took the Strike's controls into my hands. How time flies."

They stood there in silence for a while. The gulls had come out and were flying over their field of view. Somehow, their cries calmed Michael a bit. He shifted his weight a bit, from his right side to his left and back again. If anyone could understand him, the best bet would be Captain Yamato.

"Sir…"

"Yes?" Kira turned to look at Michael.

"You heard about the recent attack on Orb, right?"

The smile from Kira's face disappeared. "Is something bothering you?"

"I was in my first real firefight that day," Michael replied solemnly. "I lost some good friends."

Michael waited for a word from the captain, but Kira remained silent, gazing out to the horizon. Michael shifted his weight again. It was a nervous habit of his that he needed to rid.

"And I've been having nightmares. Not like the ones where I hear screams, or blood, or see war. I've been seeing someone else's life."

"Dreams don't mean much, but it is foolish to ignore them," Kira said, walking up to Michael to place a hand on his shoulder. "I know there are things that you can't talk with your parents about. So call me if you need to let things off your chest."

"Thanks captain."

Kira turned away and began walked up the beach, past the sand line and up to the road where his car was parked. Before he started up the engine, Michael yelled at the captain.

"Captain! Make sure that your squad flies low today while patrolling!"

Michael was given a curious look, but Kira smiled and took the boy's advice. As the car drove away, Michael thought he heard someone whisper into his ear.

_"One hour until Orb…"_

* * *

Michael stood in front of his Gundam, helmet in one hand. He was shaking, either from anxiety, anticipation, or both. The dreams from the previous nights were still vivid in his mind. Maybe they were too vivid; never before had dreams remained in his head for so long. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to erase the dreams and the memories of the other day.

"Ready to cry scaredy cat?"

Michael turned around. Roze was standing behind him, her face in a scowl. Her helmet was in the crook of her arm and one hand was placed on her hip. A swift breeze blew into the hangar, blowing stands of her hair billow.

"I'm not a coward!"

"Your face says it all," she said in a serious tone. "Your mindset could get us killed. For all we know, those bastards might come and attack Orb again. You can't be engrossed in your fear during that time."

"Dammit! I know that as well as you Roze!"

She stepped up to him and slapped him across the face. She had a deeper scowl on her face.

"Then show it you idiot!"

Without saying anything else, Roze walked away and grabbed the cable that pulled her up to the cockpit of her own Gundam. Michael stood where he was dumbstruck. Whatever Roze had done had snapped him out of his anxiety. Looking up at the closed cockpit of the neighboring Gundam, Michael put his helmet on.

* * *

Michel kept his eyes glued to his scanner as he and Roze patrolled the waters of Orb with two MBF-M1 Astrays. His nerves were calm, but there was a feeling of dread hanging onto his shoulder. Michael shook his face and started a communication link with Roze. "Do you have any idea what we're supposed to be looking for, aside from those mobile suits from the other day?"

"Things that aren't supposed to be out here? I don't know!"

"But you're the commander of this squad!"

"Well I'm unfit for the position! I'm a sniper Michael. I'm meant to stay back or scout ahead along."

"Then why are you in this squad?"

"It's because we're the only ensigns left dumbass!"

"You don't ha-"

Michael froze. He sensed something. It was like a spark in his mind, and it felt like the sensation of someone watching him. He realized what it was and shifted the position of his Gundam quickly. A shot from a beam rifle came overhead, the place where his Gundam was only a second ago.

Another shot came quickly, destroying one of the Astrays. Instinctively, Michael tracked the origin of the shot and fired a shot of his own. A small explosion could be seen on the horizon. Another followed, but not by Michael's shot. Roze had pulled out her own rifle, even without the use of her sniper rifle, and had shot an enemy that only appeared as a small dot to her Gundam's camera.

The same feeling shot across Michael's mind. He dodged another shot and pushed a squad member out of harms way. It would have been impossible for a normal pilot to evade those shots; they were faster than any normal beam round.

Then a shot came from above, one that Michael hadn't sensed quickly enough. Another Astray was destroyed. Michael sensed the second shot that was heading for Roze. Before she was hit, he shoved her Gundam out of the way.

"You okay Roze?"

"Thanks for the save."

Michael checked his scanners. There was something above them. It was the pastel yellow mobile suit from before. Rage flared up in Michael as he flew upwards, firing.

The enemy pilot avoided the shots, and he began shooting at Michael. It was an odd feeling, but Michael seemed to know where the shots were being aimed. Flawlessly, he too evaded the rounds. This pattern or firing and evading continued until the yellow mobile suit opened fire at an incoming Orb squad that Roze had called for reinforcements. With five shots, the entire squad of six was eliminated.

"Bastard!" Michael yelled.

He pulled out his beam sword to slice his foe, but the enemy parried with his own sword. Suddenly another sword swung at the yellow mobile suit. It was Roze.

"Don't forget about me Michael!"

In a split second, the yellow mobile suit maneuvered behind Roze's Gundam and sliced it in two at the waist. Michael's sword stroked the blade of the yellow suit's sword before it had connected with Roze's Gundam, but it was useless. The two halves began to fall to the sea, but there was an explosion just before there was a splash in the water. Michael couldn't see Roze's Gundam through the smoke.

Michael's fingers gripped the controls of the Gundam tightly. He could hear the creaking of the metal from the force he applied. Something opened in his mind. His senses were filled with clarity. He charged the enemy suit, screaming and crying for Roze. Unlike before, the enemy suit couldn't parry or doge Michael's strikes. He had impaled the joint of the left leg of the mobile suit, rendering it useless, and had chopped off one arm as well.

Michael was panting heavily. The enemy suit was finished. One more attack would do the trick. Before Michael charged once more, the suit released a flare to blind Michael and retreated to the direction it came from.

"Come back you bastard!" Michael shouted.

Before uttering more curses, the ensign sensed something else. He turned his Gundam to face Orb. A bright wave of light and energy came across the land. Michael was standing right in front of the blast.

* * *

_A whitewashed laboratory appeared before Michael. He was starring at the ceiling, being carried by someone. He felt another presence beside him, warmth like no other._

"_Here they are doctor," the man carrying him said._

"_Ah excellent. Now where are their papers? Good, good."_

"_So which one are we giving to that couple sir?"_

"_The lesser one of course. We had two made just to pick the better one if either of them became defective. Luckily, the one we were hoping to rid is of no use. Excellent genes these two have. Shame the couple only wanted one child. We would have an excuse to extract more of their haploid cells."_

"_So which one should I give?"_

"_The blond one."_

"_They're both blond sir."_

"_Fine, fine. The one you want to give is the smaller one. We have no use for the runt."_

_Michael was picked up and the warmth beside him faded. He was cold._

"_Here you go Mr. and Mrs. ---. And what name shall you be giving him so that I can complete these papers?"_

_He was in someone else's arms now. It was warm, but nothing like the presence beside him. It was something that could not be replaced by anything. Michael started to cry. He couldn't hear the answer to the man's question._

"_---"_

"_Michael? Fine name sir. Fists with the styles of your names."_

"_--- "_

"_Yes, yes. I'll be back with the birth certificate."_

_Michael knew he was in the arms of someone else, but he felt as if he was sill lying on a cold metal table like he was a few minutes ago. Which was it, someone's arms, or a table?_

"_Will be giving a name to the other one?" asked the man. "To the elder brother?"_

"_What why?"_

"_Well, he does need a name. I overheard that the second choice of the name for the couple was Marcus."_

"_Fine, fine. That parasite can't be called something derogatory all its life."_

_It was cold. Michael cried even louder. Something precious was taken away from him.

* * *

_Michael groaned as he tried to sit up. His head was throbbing along with the rest of his body. He remembered the explosion above Orb, but his memories were blank after that. Michael was in an improvised field hospital. The bed coverings were itchy, and the frame creaked with every movement. The green tarp of the tent gave the place a eerie feeling. Outside the tent walls, he could hear voices.

It was Roze! He had seen what had happened to her Gundam, but he couldn't mistake her voice. The other voice was Aaron.

"I won't see him!" Roze shouted.

"But he's our friend!" Aaron shouted back. "He's always been our friend since we were little. That one fact about him is going to change that?"

"He's one of them Aaron!"

"How does that matter? He could be dying and you still won't see him? Be sensible Roze!"

"I am being sensible."

"He saved your life Roze! I heard what happened to the rest of your squad. If that shot had hit it's mark… And we examined your Gundam. If it wasn't for Michael's sword, you would have been cut in half."

"Don't tell me how to live my life."

"You're going to see him whether you like it or not Roze!"

"Let go of me Aaron."

Then, Roze fell into the tent. She shouted back at Aaron before realizing where she was. She was surprised to see Michael conscious, and looked at him with disgust.

"Roze!" Michael said. "You're aliv-"

"I can't believe you!" she interrupted. "You liar! No wonder everything came so easily to you, even at school. I had to work for my grades, for my accuracy with a gun. But it was just so natural with you, wasn't it? You sicken me."

"Roze."

"Don't say my name! I hate you and all your kind!"

She ran out of the tent. Michael could hear Aaron fall the ground. He peeked his head in and said that he'd fetch Roze so that she could apologize.

Michael sat up with a little difficulty. He wondered what Roze had meant. The flap of the tent opened again. This time it was Michael's father visiting. Michael smiled, but winced from the pain in his side. Mu walked up to his son's bed and grabbed a stool to sit on.

"Took you long enough to wake up," Mu said jokingly. "We were starting to get worried, especially your mom."

"Father, what happened to Orb?"

"Half the island… It's destroyed. There was a bit of notice so we could evacuate most, but only most. The survivors are all gathered here. We're currently on the other side. Help from the Earth Alliance is here. So many died. We would have lost most of our pilots if it wasn't for Kira telling everyone to fly low. It seems that the blast only hit the designated target and everything above a certain altitude for a few hundred kilometers. You were just at the edge of the mark. Consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky huh?"

"You don't think you're lucky?"

"I woke up to a friend hating me. Said I was one of 'those kind.' Do you know what Roze meant?"

Mu turned silent. Michael watched his father stare down at his fingers and twiddle his thumbs. It wasn't like him to not have an answer or some sort of remark or comeback. This made Michael worry.

"What did she mean Father? I know you were outside. You must have heard it!"

"Michael, what I'm about to say… I'm sorry for hiding it from you, but you never really had to know. You weren't that different from everyone else and you would never need an explanation for your intelligence, or athletics, or anything else."

"Father, quit stalling."

"You're a Coordinator."

Silence. Neither of them moved. Out of nowhere, Michael began laughing. Although it hurt, he continued laughing.

"What a funny joke. You must have planned this out with Roze and Aaron. You would have known I'd be down in spirits, so you did all this to cheer me up."

Michael continued laughing until it was forced and it hurt his chest to do so. He knew it was no joke. There was silence for minute or two.

"Why would a Natural couple have a Coordinator son?" Michael asked after a while. "Am I adopted?"

"No you aren't, but prepare for a story boy. After the Second Bloody Valentine War, I married your mom. That's when we found out she's sterile. We did consider adopting, but then we found a surrogate mother agency. Before we knew it, we had signed the papers. Nine months later, there you were."

"That's it?"

"Yup."

"Then why am I a Coordinator?"

"I was told by the head doctor that in order for the whole thing to work properly, it was necessary to tweak your genes a bit. I don't remember how I said yes. It was as if he led me on."

"Do you know if anything went wrong during the pregnancy?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Curious, is all," Michael replied. He didn't want to tell his father about the voices in his head. "Do you know?"

"Well, the odd part was that we only saw the surrogate mother a few times. We never learned her name. But the DNA tests prove you're my son without a doubt!"

Michael sensed his father trying to lighten the mood again while providing information. His father was ridiculous at times, but Michael was glad for the sense of humor.

"Do I have a brother?"

"Questions, questions…" Mu muttered. "In fact you asked this question before when you were little."

"I did?"

"You were complaining that it was too cold one winter when you asked. Why do you ask again?"

"Wondering, just wondering…"

* * *

Although his body was still aching after a day, Michael found the strength to walk around the encampment. There were families huddled around everywhere. He guessed that they had escaped, but their homes were destroyed.

Michael strode to a cliff side where he saw a figure standing alone looking at the sea. He realized it was Roze. He walked up to her, trying not to make a sound. He wanted to talk to her and figure out why she hated Coordinators.

"Roze," he called out when he was close enough.

She turned around and looked as if she was going to bolt. Her reddish-brown hair was tied back, but the wind still blew it everywhere.

"What do you want?"

"Just want to talk."

"What's your real reason?"

"What's your beef Roze? Just because you find out that I'm different, you hate me? I didn't know myself Roze! I'm still the same Michael. I haven't changed.

"You don't understand," Roze shouted. "You don't understand!"

"Then help me."

"My parents were killed by Zaft! There I said it!"

It felt like an arrow struck him in the heart, but Michael walked to Roze until they were standing face to face. She was crying now.

"Michael, I know you're not responsible for anything, but I can't look at Coordinators the same way. And, and…"

"You don't have to tell me anymore."

"Shut up! I need to get his out. I want you to know Michael. I guess it's idiotic for me to have a different opinion of you, but I can't see you in the same way either. I liked you Michael, but I'm not so sure."

Then she did bolt. Michael stared at the waters that Roze had been gazing at so intently. They were calming, but not enough.

* * *

_Michael walked into the captain's quarters once more. Seat behind the desk was turned away. He stood up straight and saluted. _

"_At ease…"a voice said. " What did you want to talk to me about?"_

"_Sir, I've been having dreams. They're not normal dreams; they're too real for that. I woke up from my nap because one of them. I was rejected by a girl for being a Coordinator, but it was a girl I never met. She was extremely beautiful with reddish-brown hair. These dreams seem to be affecting my performance in the mobile suit, sir."_

"_Have you told the Doctor about this?"_

"_He said he'll take some brainwave scans later."_

"_Anything else?"_

"_One more. They seem to become more realistic the more I have them."_

"_Take care then. Dismissed."_

"_Thank you, sir!"_

_Michael exited the room and turned the corner. Entering the elevator, he pressed the button that would take him to the top deck. There he would be able to see the stars and Orb in the far distance. He felt as if he was separated from himself. He was on a ship and on Orb as well. Michael's head began to ache._


End file.
